The queen of all things cute and deadly, creator and artist Queenie Black has been a staple on the LA art and goth scene for years. She started out as a gothic doll maker, painter and digital artist, then went on to cultivate her own brand of cute and deadly characters, Pocket Full of Posiez, which can be found in Hot Topic, Halloweentown Store, independent shops all over SoCal and her Etsy Shop, Posiez.
World-renowned artist Lisa Parker hails from the U.K. and specializes in magical, fantasy, witchcraft and wildlife art. Lisa’s artwork possesses vibrant colors and her passion for animals shines through every masterful brushstroke. Officially licensed with over 27 companies, including The Bradford Exchange, The Mountain (apparel), Nemesis Now, and Prime 3D Ltd., Lisa’s artwork is featured on numerous products, home goods, jewelry, puzzle games, stationery, tarot cards, and witchcraft collectibles.
Australian illustrator Selina Fenech is one of the world’s most popular fantasy artists. She creates beautiful magical worlds filled with fairies, mermaids, goddesses, unicorns and other enchanted creatures. Her art has been featured in books and magazines and is available on licensed products worldwide, ranging from clothing, coloring books, dolls, figurines, jewelry, tarot decks and dozens of other items. She is also a published author of YA fantasy novels titled: Memory’s Wake TrilogyArtist: Selina Fenech
Website: https://selinafenech.com/
Where to purchase goods: https://selinafenech.com/shop/
Social Media: https://twitter.com/selinafenech https://www.instagram.com/selinafenech/
This Christmas, break away from the cheap chocolate and seasonal flavored ChapSticks and give Halloween lovers stuffing stockers guaranteed to warm their little dark hearts.
Shopping for Halloween lovers is surprisingly easy and a lot of fun when you know what to look for. But, sometimes under the pressure and stress of the holidays, the ideas get lost under the endless rows of candy canes and the mountains of sugary glittery goodness. Here are a few suggestions for perfectly dark and gothic gifts, that won’t break the bank and totally ensures your favorite Halloweenophile will have a scary Christmas at all. Remember to shop small business when you can!
Artist Prints
Price $10 and up
By giving the gift of a Halloween or scary print, not only are you buying an awesome gift, but you’re also supporting the arts and helping local and living artists thrive. That’s a brilliant gift for us all.
This is a special Halloween edition of Wicked Art Wednesdays, honoring the incredible mind-blowing classic monster art of three legendary world-renowned artists and creators. These gentlemen are the genius masters of art, who inspire all others to follow in their footsteps.
This October, we celebrate the creepy cute visions of Rick Blanco a.k.a. Dienzo, an artist and designer from So Cal, who’s done work for Disney, Mattel, Cartoon Network and more.
Artist: Rick “Dienzo” Blanco
Company/Studio: The Art of Dienzo
Where to Purchase Goods: Online shop, comic book conventions, special events, specialty stores, i.e., Halloweentown Store, Hyaena Gallery, etc.
Website: http://www.dienzoart.com
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/dienzoart/
Why we love them: Along with his stunning original art, Dienzo takes our favorite Disney and horror characters from movies and TV, and creates dark, intriguing, and sometimes sinister settings for them. This is pop culture turned upside down.
Why we love them: Rhode Montijo specializes in that vintage Halloween look, where his works truly capture the whimsical innocence of Halloween. When browsing through prints, be prepared for a flood of childhood memories to engulf you and remind you why you fell in love with Halloween in the first place.
This October, we’ll be sharing some great Halloween and horror art from awesome artists. We’re kicking the season off with a fantastic indie artist out of Los Angeles:
Why we love them: Creepy cute art blends the best of two worlds. Diana Levin’s colorful and whimsical style mixed with the dark Gothic tones is a feast for the eyes. In addition to drawing some delightfully creepy versions of pop culture and fabled characters, her own original character drawings are exquisite. Diana’s creative art inspires the imagination, which might explain how partner Shawn Givens comes up with all those spooky stories for their book series, The Ghoulish Grimoire.
Halloween lovers and horror fans (aka screamers) gathered over the weekend at the Long Beach Convention Center to kick-off the unofficial start of the 2018 Halloween season, as Midsummer Scream returned for its third year. This spectacular convention celebrates Halloween, haunts and horror. Here’s a recap of convention highlights:
Hall of Shadows
The Hall of Shadows was split this year between haunters, vendors, filmmakers and special effects on one side, and the interactive scare zone on the other, where SoCal’s top haunters previewed their upcoming spooky haunts for fall.
The Hall main stage featured everything from zombie burlesque to the classical quartet Nostalgic Nebula. The flexible and talented Decayed Brigade, SoCal Sliders, returned with a brand new show. My personal favorites were Murder House Production’s Trick ‘r Treat maze and The Haunt Store’s display of those awesome AtmosFX projections.
Six Flag Unleashed showed off their glow-in-the-dark world, with the most talented folks on stilts I’ve ever seen.
Warner Bros. Studio Tours showed off costumes and props from It and The Nun, in promotion of the upcoming Horror Made Here: A Festival of Frights, starting in October.
The Show Floor
This year, there was an abundance of creepy and unique creations from some exceptionally talented artists and creators, where screamers could find everything and anything relating to Halloween and horror.
Screamers over 21 were able to get a blue wristband and purchase adult beverages at bar stations around the convention hall, or one of two cash bar attractions hosted by Sinister Pointe’s Scary Place and Slashback Video, courtesy of Bearded Lady’s Mystic Museum.
SoCal Valley Haunters & Classrooms
Thinking of creating your own decorations for Halloween but don’t know where to start? Well, Midsummer Scream had you covered. On the Show Floor, SoCal Valley Haunters taught screamers how to create their own tombstones, carve foam pumpkins, make lanterns and village displays, with the help of Dept. 56. Down the hall, classes on Halloween floral arrangements, budget decorating, yard displays and more, inspired a whole new generation of Halloween designers.
Theater Macabre, Black Cat Lounge, Screaming Room and Second Stage
Screamers flocked to the upstairs second floor, where they could fall in love with rescue kittens in the Black Cat Lounge, or attend haunt shows and theater presentations from Bob Baker Marionette Theater, Zombie Joe’s Underground Theater Urban Death, and many others. Inside the Screaming room, screamers could watch horror shorts and listen to spooky stories. A nice respite for weary feet.
The Grand Ballroom
The Grand Ballroom, which seats about 2100 people, offered sneak peek presentations on this fall’s upcoming horror theme park and haunted attractions, and two very special panels:
On Saturday, screamers celebrated the 30th anniversary of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark movie, where they were treated to interview clips of cast of the movie and with amusing, funny and witty anecdotes from the Mistress of the Dark herself, Cassandra Peterson.
On Sunday, screamers packed the room again for the 25th anniversary of Hocus Pocus and hear behind-the-scene stories. After an incredible live performance from The Unauthorized Musical Parody of Hocus Pocus, the panel featured actress Thora Birch, who played Dani, producer David Kirschner, screenwriter Mick Garris, composer John Debney, production designer William Sandell and make-up and special effects artist Tony Gardner.
The fabulous Cassandra Peterson spent two days signing autographs at her booth, where Elvira’s Boo-tique and Sweet Hollywood were selling candy, clothing, novelty items and other amazing Elvira wares. I swear this woman has done a deal with devil or something because she does not age! This past year, Cassandra retired Elvira from doing Knott’s Scary Farm and I heard she’s cutting back her schedule, possibly to work on an autobiography? In any event, it’s so great to see her at Midsummer Scream. I hope she returns next year!
That pretty much wraps up my experience. I’m sure I missed a ton of stuff because there’s just so much to do and see.
Midsummer Scream is now my favorite horror convention. I have a feeling this show is only going to grow and get better. Highly recommended for Halloween and horror fans.
Artist: Selina Fenech
Halloween Horror Haiku 
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